Vienna Community Church

The Current Situation:

On recommendation from experts that the exponential increase in corona infections be counteracted by absolutely minimizing social contacts, and in response to a request from the Federal Government, churches and religious communities have committed to support these measures in their own area and to “largely” suspend church services, beginning on Monday 16 March, 2020, and extending to Easter Week.

This demonstrates our care for our neighbor, and for the most vulnerable in our midst.

More to follow, and announcements will be made on Sunday, but please give this the widest possible distribution.

VCC Response

Effective Monday 16.3.2020, it seems that we will be shifting to an online format. This will be exciting!

Starting Sunday, 22.3.2020, there will be weekly worship materials posted on the website (or a streaming service). This will consist of a sermon meditation, which will be pre-recorded although may be offered live, plus some worship material such as prayers and readings available in a PowerPoint presentation – this is the best format for families or small groups of neighbours to use together.

Here’s how it might look: Worshipping together online

There will also be some interactive pages, such as a “Living Prayer List”. A sample page can be found here: please try adding your own prayers to the page and see what happens.

Our goals: We will stay linked to each other!

Our Prayer Circle was talking about ways to reach out to people; this might be a good time to initiate a phone network. I’d be happy to hear any suggestions; whether each person commits to calling the next person on the chain during the week, or we have prayer partners, or a few volunteers commit to calling 5-6 people during the week. These would be “Holy conversations” asking if there are concerns to be added to the prayers, checking on any health or other concerns, and ensuring that people know what we are doing and how we are doing it.

We will continue to pray, to worship, and to be Christ’s people.

It is a challenge to remain as a community, and not to be able draw strength and comfort from gathering together, especially to receive the sacraments. But we continue to be disciples, and we will find ways to grow and deepen our faith.

We will not be afraid.

But we will take care of one another, and we will worship God.

In this time of necessary physical distancing, please remember that the VCC still needs your financial stewardship to continue functioning. Please DONATE ONLINE to sustain our community through this challenging time.

Pastor Neil and the VCC Board